User Group (UG)

Definition - What does User Group (UG) mean?

A user group (UG) is a community of users, often a somewhat formal club or group, where people get together to talk about a particular technology. Over the past few decades, as personal computers (PC) and other technologies have rapidly changed, the focus and scope of UGs have also changed.

Techopedia explains User Group (UG)

The oldest user groups, dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, were generally groups of people focused on the use of non-branded emerging technologies, such as:

Microprocessors

Primitive programming languages

User bulletin boards that predated the global Internet

Some of these groups have been documented for posterity, and some may be maintained in some form.

In the 21st century, newer user groups often focus on branded technologies. For example, Apple UG users get together to specifically discuss Apple products, such as smartphones or tablets. Device makers or tech companies may even promote or encourage UG behavior through the development of forums and other resources.

Other user groups are basic collections of users who may interact over other kinds of electronic forms. Tech companies like Yahoo and Google maintain large numbers of ad-hoc groups that are largely centered around specific forum or chat spaces.